The advantages of a portable tire repair kit have long been appreciated. A product of this type, available in the car, provides assurance that the motorist will not be required to change a flat tire on the road. Further, the driver of a car which is not equipped with a spare tire, can inflate a flat tire sufficiently to safely reach a repair facility without the inconvenience and danger of being stranded on the road or having to use road service.
A number of prior art tire sealant compositions have been described. U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,494 to Kent et al discloses a tire sealant composition containing water, ethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, asbestos fibers, fiberglass fibers, a wetting agent, and a rust preventative.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,137,206 and 4,224,208 to Kent disclose sealant compositions containing water, ethylene glycol, amines such as lower alkylamines, lower cycloalkylamines, napthylamines, morpholines, benzothiazoles, and salts thereof, a methyl cellulose or polyvinyl alcohol component, and fiberglass or asbestos fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,322 to Japson discloses a wheel balancing and sealant composition comprising water, ethylene glycol, polyisoprene, process oil, detergent, sodium bicarbonate, and asbestos fibers.
Ornum et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,468 discloses tire sealant compositions comprising butyl rubber, polyisobutylene and/or polybutene, a resin, zinc oxide, carbon black, polystyrene, para-quinone, and benzoyl peroxide, and Japanese patent publication number 57-63374 discloses a tire sealant composition which includes water, a rust preventative, an organic polymer, and a bacterial growth inhibitor.
In order to be useful under adverse road conditions, a tire sealer and inflator composition must be sufficiently tacky and cohesive to be able to seal a puncture in a tire whether or not the puncturing object remains in the puncture hole. The composition must be able to seal a puncture in any position on the tire when applied through the tire's valve stem. Further, the seal must withstand the internal pressure of the tire, as well as the pressure exerted on the tire by the weight of the car.
The present invention provides a new tire sealer composition which represents an improvement in such compositions and is particularly suitable for use on modern tires.